Razor blade holder



July 6, 1937.

R. L. NEEDHART RAZOR BLADE HOLDER Filed July 17, 1936 INVENTOIZ Patented July 6, 1937 PATENT OFFEE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to blade holders for releasably holding safety razor blades for stropping and sharpening.

As is well known, there are several varieties and 5 designs of safety razor blades on the market, the chief differentiating feature being that such blades are either single or double edged, the single edged blades being generally reinforced along the back margin by a flat and relatively thick rib,

while the double edged blades are of uniform thinness thruout.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a blade holder adapted for conveniently holding either the single or double edged style of blade and correctly positioning the same to the strop for sharpening, the holder as made in accordance with this invention including a handle and integrally connected shank, formed preferably from a strip of resilient sheet metal, the shank being in 2() cross section of the form of an ovate tube parted however along its converging free margins to form a yoke, vise or clamp for frictionally and resiliently engaging a pair of blade clamping plates or jaws which are pivoted freely together at one end within the inner end of the slotted shank and thus adapted to open out from the shank for receiving a razor blade and then to close thereinto for looking the blade in operative position, for this purpose the oblong plates being extended longitudinally at their predetermined inner margins to form tabs or lugs at their ends, the predetermined inner set of tabs being apertured for engaging a pivot pin passed thru the holder at the juncture of handle and shank for pivotally mounting the plates in place, and the outer set of tabs protruding beyond the outer end of the shank to serve as finger holds for operating the plates, there being a notch formed in the meeting margins of the handle immediately back of the shank and at the predetermined under side of the holder into which the pair of clamp plates may be swung when opened, the said plates being formed with medial and relatively wide channels or grooves facing in- Wardly together for providing a receptacle for the back rib of the referred to type of single edged blade, the outer walls of those channels being again re-curved or concaved inwardly transversely of their median longitudinal lines so as to form bosses or beads along the inner margins of the channel walls adapted to frictionally engage the resilient free margins of the slotted shank, Whereby the clamp plates with the blade thereinbetween are more securely held in place against movement or slippage.

holder constructed in accordance with my invention, showing a razor blade mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a View similar to that of Figure l, showing the blade clamping plates or jaws swung outwardly from the hollow shank, as in position for inserting or removing a blade.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure.

l, enlarged.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4- of Figure 2, enlarged. r

Figure 5 is a section on the line ii-5 of Figure 1 2, enlarged.

Figure 6 is a detail View of one of the blade clamps or jaws.

The razor blade holder made in accordance with this invention and referred to generally in the drawing at 5!, is preferably made of a thin and somewhat resilient strip of sheet material folded over upon itself longitudinally, and comprising a handle 2 and integrally connected shank 3 which is defined or demarked from the handle by a notch 4 at the free margins of the strip forming the under side of the holder, and which notch serves a purpose later to be pointed out.

The handle and connected shank are preferably formed by folding the stripover longitudinally upon itself, the handle to the form of a relatively fiat and closed ovate tube and the shank to the form of a more expanded ovate tube, parted along its converging free margins to provide a clamp engaging slot or opening 5 extending from the notch 4 out thru the outer end of the shank.

It will thus be notedthat incross' section-the shank 3 is of the form of an ovate tube parted along its thinner side to form the said clamp slot 5, while the handle is in the form of a relatively fiat and closed ovate tube, the handle and shank being separated by the notch 4 cut into the free margins of the stock at the predetermined under side of the device.

The blade clamps or jaws are referred to generally at 6 and include a pair of oblong clamp plates 1 of the approximate. size of a conventional razor blade, the predetermined inner margins being extended longitudinally to form at the ends the hinge and finger tabs or lugs 8 and 9 respectively, the former being pierced with pivot pin holes l0. These plates 1 are also formed. with the medial, relatively wide and longitudinally extended grooves or channels H, which when turned towards one another with the plates in registry as shown in Figure 3, form a suitable receptacle, channel or recess for engaging the back rib i2 01 a type of single edged razor blade it, in the operation of the device. The side walls of the channels or grooves H are re-curved or concaved again, slightly inwardly, transversely of their median longitudinal lines, as shown at l 4, to form raised bosses or beads over which the resilient margins of the shank must pass in closing the clamp plates thereinto thru the slot 5, thereby iriotionally and resiliently locking the clamp plates and inclosed blade in place in the holder, in proper position for sharpening. The plates 6 thus formed are positioned in registry or alignment together with the channels H turned inwardly together as shown in Figure 3, and are then pivotally mounted to the holder by seating the hinge lugs 8 together within the inner end of the slot of the shank and passing a pivot pin !5 thru the sides of the holder immediately above and back of the notch d and thru the holes ii a of the lugs, the ends of the pin being then upset in conventional manner.

Thus arranged the plates 6 are freely and independently mounted and may be readily swung or closed into the opening 5 singly or together, with either a single edged blade it or a double edged blade it clamped between them. In the clamp- 'ing of a double edge blade it will be noted that the grooves or channels l I play no part, the blade being frictionally engaged and held in position by the lateral flat margins or webs ll of the clamping plates.

In the operation of the device the clamping plates or jaws l are pulled out from the hollow tubular shank 3, in which operation the heels of the plates enter the notch i and bear upon the relatively constricted or closed margins of the handle at this point, whereby the outward movement of the clamps is limited and they are held open in just the right position for the convenient insertion of the blade. The blade is then inserted and the plates and blade are pressed back into the slot 5 of the shank until the inner edges of the plates Contact the inner wall of the tubular shank. The blade is now ready in the holder for sharpening, and it will be noted that owing to the ovate formation 01": the shank the sides thereof lie upon just the right slant or slope to enable the edge of the blade to contact the strop or hone at just the right angle for sharpening.

It is thought that from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, the use and operation of the device will be apparent, and while I have herein pointed out certain structural features characterizing the invention, it is understood that I may vary the same in minor details, not departing however from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the kind described made of a single strip of thin and somewhat resilient material folded longitudinally upon itself to provide a handle and shank defined by a notch at the meeting margins of the strip at the predetermined under side of the device, the shank portion being in cross section of the form of a relatively expanded ovate tube parted along its narrower and converging free margins to provide a clamp engaging slot, the handle portion being in cross section of the form of a relatively fiat and closed ovate tube, and a pair of oblong blade clamping plates extending longitudinally at their predetermined inner margins to provide protruding hinge and finger tabs at their ends, these plates being pivotally mounted within the slot of the shank by means of a pin passed thru the sides of the holder immediately above and back of the said defining notch and thru the inserted and aligned hinge tabs of the plates, whereby the clamping plates may be readily opened out from the shank by swinging the heels of the plates at the pivot pin into the said defining notch.

2. In a structure as defined in claim 1, the said clamping plates being formed with medial, longitudinally extended and inwardly turned channels adapted to engage the back rib of a conventional type of single edged blade, the lateral walls of the channels being concaved on their outer faces to provide marginal beads for frictionally engaging the free resilient margins of the shank as the clamping plates are closed thereinto thru the clamp engaging slot.

ROBERT L. NEIDHART. 

